No consensus

The Palestinians’ statehood bid in the United Nations appears to be doomed.
Several news media outlets were reporting Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council has not reached a consensus on the Palestinian Authority’s application.
According to Reuters, the four-page report by the committee on admitting new member states, sent Tuesday to all 15 Security Council members, said the panel cannot reach a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council.
Further, it is believed that the P.A. application does not have the nine votes it needs for approval. If so, then the he United States, which has threatened to use its veto should the measure pass will not be forced to do so.
Both France and the United Kingdom have said they would abstain from the statehood vote.
If the vote fails, it would constitute a major setback for the Palestinian Authority, which just one week ago celebrated a victory when the United Nations Economic , Scientific and Cultural Organization, voted to admit it as a full member. A no vote at the Security Council, would also constitute a major loss of credibility for P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas who banked his political capital on circumventing the peace process and taking his case directly to the U.N., where the Arab world commands significant influence.
Abbas applied for full U.N. membership for the state of Palestine on September 23. While the General Assembly makes decisions on U.N. membership, it first needs Security Council approval before it can act.
The Security Council is scheduled to debate the report on Friday, when the report is formally presented.

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